The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-09-16
ABOUT JOHN SWINTON.
A JOURNALIST WHO SACRIFICED
HIMSELF FOR AN IDEA.

that His Paper Might Go On-Appar-
emily Strange Medley OF Contradict
tions-Pcrsonal Anecdotes
Tho much writing about John Swinton has
not got at the heart Of what kind Of man
no Is A great deal of sympathy Is felt in
New York for the old man, for he has long
been the only real or apparent Frenchmnn In
an American skin over here. He has repre-
sented enough earnestness, on tho one hand,
and enough bounce, ON the other, to make or
decorate striking personality he has
also satisfied demand for comedy as well as
supplied an example of intensity. There will
have to be day Of Judgment to settle
whether John Swintons communism is red
hot conviction or n form Of cultivated ego
tism, which has become freak or fanati-
cism. The matter is, however, not so import
ant as the fact that the old man was ut any
time ready to die for his fad-if death could
be inflicted in properly dramatic manner
and, more's the pity has almost starved for
il. / do not desire to figure as Trelawny
who would lift the shroud Of dead genius to
be able to tell the world which was the club
foot that tho vanity of the son OF the gods
concealed in his life time. he reason for in
dicating tho sacrifices to which John Swinton
has subjected himself for ali idea is that an
instance of endurance may be shown from
which human nature may draw lesson.
Your readers know that the mans paper is
dead; that it died for want of support; that
its death proves that labor will not labor to
help its championship this is known.
FROM WEALTH TO POVERTY.
Not known are these facts: The old man
began publishing that paper when he lived In
mansion replete with treasures of art and
literature and with uses which wealth has
for all the wants and the taste. A French
chef mnistered to the epicurean palates which
the hospitable master invited sround him.
Statesmen, reformers, beauties, moralists and
at times the princes of states and of churches
were his guests. For long months past he
has lived in one room in tenement among
the slums, his food not costing 81 week and
not worth half that little, depicting himself
in body that the paper might go on; earning
5000 by magazine article OH something ne
was Indifferent about that he might issue
thoughts which he was tremendously moved
about. ~ will dine you'll for sixpence, but il
you want me to write for you my terms will bo
$50 a column; it will bring out my next
issue" he would say. An income Of over
$4,000 year and a fortune which at least
five figures would be needed to express, house,
furniture, horses, wines, clothes, last OF all
the beloved books, have gone to sustain an
idea, and the idea was wind.
John SwiL.on had to stop. He could starve
his stomach and deny his mind as long as he
could get together enough to- pay the printer,
hut when that failed he ceased. No one suf.
fered loss but himself. The theories of tho
man were visionary and destructive, but he
was the safest conduit for them there was.
He would denounce property without being
able to remove the conviction OF everybody
that he was the kindest old man in the world
He would roar like Etna, but the birds would
not fly away when ho walked by them. He
would emit fire and slaughter, but his wallet
would be turned inside out to the first beggar
| He would advocate communism and practice
it by loading up gamns with presents New
York knew him as stage quantity whose
heart was as gentle as summer The amount
of verbal vehemence that had to be got Off
sounded in him like the demons tenpins
among the mountains or scintillated around
and within him like the lightning of July
twilight but the noise was only noise and the
lightning struck nothing but his pocketbook
FEW PERSONAL ANECDOTES
The old man was q conservative force, a
discounted thundcrbolt, and did not seem to
know it, He came, as he thought, unto his
own, and they received him not They unto
whom he cast pearls turned and rended him.
He will find harbor whence he went forth to
raise storm and encounter shipwreck.
"What We're you doing that afternoon on
that cornerin asked Mr.. Fullerton of him
wheg witness on the Beecher trial.
"llusing on the infinite" was the answer
that came quick us flash, straight as rifle
boil and hard as rock. That cross examina-
ton was not continued
"Did you ever taste thpt kind of wine be-
before, Swintonln asked A. 4. Stewart OF
him at dinner once in the Thirty-fourth
street palace, as the host doled out the least
biz of q rare vintage.
eyes, twice; once with Antonell and once
a,th Bismarck, and both times in larger
glasses" was the reply.
1t was Swinton who gravely proposed to
discuss in Madison square garden with Will
liam II. Vanderbilt the latter's right to his
millions to tho sheer CONSERVATION OF that
man, and somewhat to his apprehension. 1t
was Swinton against whom Depew "braced
himself" for the debate at the Nineteenth
Century club, and it was Swinton who at
that club spoke only such honeyed words OF
the allowances which ought to be made for
rich men that Depew's prepared arguments
were kicks against nothing.
"He thought I'd show my teeth, but my
speech was sustained kiss" chucklingly ex-
plains the old man. "The casemaker WINS
nowhere he adds.
He has learned that natural conditions will
not bend to aid poor or rich; that ingrntitudo
Is plant that can grow in the slums as well
as on tho avenue; that the confederation Of